Is Hinsdale South Biased Toward Physics-First?

DARIEN, IL – Earlier in the spring, Hinsdale High School District 86 board member Jeff Waters accused Hinsdale South of "steering" students into a particular science sequence of classes.

The school's principal, Patrick Hardy, denied the charge.

But supporters of Waters' position have noted a South document that speaks favorably of South's longtime sequence – physics for freshmen, chemistry for sophomores and biology for juniors.

Central has long had the traditional sequence, which is the reverse of South's.

The debate over science sequences goes back years. In 2019, the board voted for both Central and South to start freshmen with physics.

That led to an uproar at Central, the bigger and wealthier of the two schools. Based largely on that issue, Waters and his allies prevailed in the 2021 election. Later that year, the board struck a compromise in which the schools would offer both sequences.

At Central, students have been choosing both sequences in large numbers since the compromise. But at South, barely anyone goes with biology-first.

Last fall, in a document called "Hinsdale South Science Times," the school called the physics-first sequence "a logical flow," while referring to biology-first as "a traditional approach."

The document included a special section to praise physics-first, referring to it as PCB, for physics, chemistry and biology.

"Hinsdale South students who chose the PCB pathway did amazingly well, not only on the (Illinois Science Assessment), but also on their AP Science Exams in the Spring of 2023," the flier said. "In most content areas, these students soundly beat national averages. We are so proud of their accomplishments!"

Hinsdale resident Linda Burke, who has attended board meetings since the 1990s, said the South flier was biased for physics-first.

Burke, who maintains an email list for those interested in District 86, said the document was an example of South suppressing demand for the biology-first sequence.

The flier, she said, implied that the district's biology-first students have lower test scores and worse outcomes. But she said no such evidence exists.

"D86 should immediately desist from over-promotion of ninth grade Physics at the expense of ninth grade Biology," Burke said to her email list. "No one is trying to eliminate (physics-first), but all district families should have unimpeded access to science course choice, with two well-maintained science pathways."

Principal Hardy did not return an emailed message earlier this week about the Science Times. He is leaving the school at month's end, becoming the principal of Hampshire High School in Kane County.